In recent years, resistance varying memory has been receiving attention as a successor candidate of flash memory. Resistance varying memory usually has a cross-point type structure configured having memory cells arranged in a matrix at intersections of a plurality of bit lines and a plurality of word lines intersecting these bit lines, the memory cell comprising a variable resistance element and a rectifier element.
In such a cross-point type resistance varying memory, the rectifier element is provided to suppress a current flowing in an unselected memory cell. A residual charge occurs in such a rectifier element. This residual charge sometimes causes a malfunction, lowering of operation speed, or the like.